--- description: "Slipstream in F1 explained: the low-pressure pocket behind a car, how it gives 10 to 15 km/h down a straight, and why Monza is its natural home." title: "Slipstream in F1: how the tow works, Monza and DRS explained" image: https://www.f1-fansite.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/SI202206190819_hires_jpeg_24bit_rgb-330x217.jpg --- [Skip to main content](#content) ![Change language](https://www.f1-fansite.com/wp-content/themes/f1fansite/images/flags-svg/gb.svg?v=2) [![F1-Fansite.com](https://www.f1-fansite.com/wp-content/themes/f1fansite/images/logo-mob.png)](https://www.f1-fansite.com/) ![](https://www.f1-fansite.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026-spa-header.jpg) [![Try F1 on Apple TV for 7 days](https://www.f1-fansite.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/F1-Launch_Refresh2_Static_Affiliate_728x90_US-EN.jpg)](https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-on-apple-tv/) [![F1-Fansite.com](https://www.f1-fansite.com/wp-content/themes/f1fansite/images/logo.png)](https://www.f1-fansite.com/) [Sign in](https://www.f1-fansite.com/login/) - [Home](https://www.f1-fansite.com/) - [F1 News](https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-news/) - [F1 2026](https://www.f1-fansite.com/2026-formula-1-season/) - [F1 2027](https://www.f1-fansite.com/2027-formula-1-season/) - [All Time](https://www.f1-fansite.com/all-time-f1-archive/) - [F1 Stats](https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-statistics/) - [Photos](https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-wallpapers/) - [F1 Fans](https://www.f1-fansite.com/fans/) - [F1 Quiz](https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-quizzes/) - [F1 Tickets](https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-tickets/) - [F1 Merchandise](https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-merchandise/) - Add to home screen [Sign in](https://www.f1-fansite.com/login/) [Next session![Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez](https://www.f1-fansite.com/wp-content/themes/f1fansite/images/flags-svg/mx.svg?v=2) MX Mexico City Grand Prix · FP100d 00h 00m 00s](https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-calendar/mexico-city-grand-prix/) [Next session![Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez](https://www.f1-fansite.com/wp-content/themes/f1fansite/images/flags-svg/mx.svg?v=2) MX Mexico City Grand Prix · FP100d 00h 00m 00s](https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-calendar/mexico-city-grand-prix/) # Slipstream [![](https://www.f1-fansite.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/SI202206190819_hires_jpeg_24bit_rgb-330x217.jpg)](https://www.f1-fansite.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/SI202206190819_hires_jpeg_24bit_rgb.jpg) Yuki Tsunoda of Japan driving the (22) Scuderia AlphaTauri AT03 follows Zhou Guanyu of China driving the (24) Alfa Romeo F1 C42 Ferrari during the 2022 F1 Grand Prix of Canada **The slipstream, sometimes called the tow, is the pocket of lower-pressure air a Formula 1 car pulls behind it as it moves at high speed.** Any car following closely enough can sit in that pocket, meet less air resistance, and gain 10 to 15 km/h down a long straight. It is the oldest overtaking aid in motor racing, and even in the DRS era it decides more passes than any other single factor. ## What is the slipstream in F1? The slipstream is the low-pressure region an F1 car creates behind itself while punching a hole through the air. A following car sitting inside that region meets far less drag than usual, which means the same engine power accelerates it harder. That extra acceleration is what lets a chasing car pull alongside a leader on the straights before the braking zone. ## How slipstreams work - the leading car deflects air outward and creates a low-pressure zone behind it; - the following car, sitting a couple of lengths back, enters that zone; - drag on the following car falls, sometimes by 20 to 30 per cent; - engine power that would have overcome drag now goes into acceleration; - the following car gains speed and starts to close the gap. ## Slipstream and DRS combined Modern F1 combines the slipstream with DRS (from 2011 to 2025), which itself opens the rear-wing flap to reduce drag on the following car by another 10 to 12 km/h. Together the two effects can make a chasing car up to 20 km/h faster than the leader on a straight, which is usually enough to complete an overtake into the braking zone. Under the 2026 rules, DRS is replaced by active-aero X-Mode, but the slipstream itself remains a fundamental of racing. ## Slipstream at Monza The Autodromo Nazionale Monza has been the slipstream capital of Formula 1 since the 1950s. The four long straights and gentle chicanes have historically produced slipstream battles that end in eight-car groups crossing the line together. Pre-DRS, Monza qualifying often turned into a strategic ballet of drivers trying to catch a tow without giving one, and slipstream-only overtakes still define the racing on Sundays. ## Frequently asked questions about the slipstream ### What is the slipstream in F1? The slipstream is the pocket of low-pressure air a Formula 1 car pulls behind it. A following car in that pocket meets less drag and gains speed for free. ### How much extra speed does the slipstream give? Typically 10 to 15 km/h down a long straight, depending on the circuit, wing setup and speed range. ### How is the slipstream different from DRS? The slipstream is a natural aerodynamic effect available to any car following closely. DRS is a driver-activated flap on the rear wing that reduces drag further and requires a one-second gap at a detection point. ### Where in F1 is the slipstream most important? At long, high-speed circuits like Monza, Baku and Las Vegas, where the straights are long enough for the effect to build meaningful speed. ### Will the slipstream still matter in 2026? Yes. Even though DRS is being removed and replaced by active aero, the natural slipstream will remain a fundamental of high-speed following behaviour. Last updated: 4 Jul 2026, 00:58 ### Join our FREE weekly F1 Newsletter Enter your email address & confirm your subscription You've already signed up, Thanks! 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